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Friday, November 18, 2005

"The 8th Of November"

The new Big and Rich CD features a haunting, beautiful ode to the gallant men of the 173rd Airborne who took on 1200 NVA and VC soldiers in the Gang Toi Hills of South Vietnam November 5-9, 1965. Badly out-manned, they managed to more than hold their own while sustaining heavy casualties themselves.

THIS is why I love country music. Who is writing anything even REMOTELY patriotic like this on the rock side? REM? Bruce? U2? You'll never hear it out of the rockers, lest they offend their lefty and MOR Putz base. They would want something more "nuanced" or "subtle".

The song was written after Big and Rich met one of the soldiers who was there, Niles Harris, and were moved by his story.

Said goodbye to his momma As he left South Dakota To fight for the red white and blue He was 19 and green With a new M16 Just doin' what he had to do He was dropped in the jungle Where the choppers would rumble With the smell of napalm in the air Then the Sargent said Look up ahead Like a dark evil cloud 1200 came down On him and 29 more They fought for their lives But most of them died in the 173rd airborne

Chorus: On the 8th of November The angels were crying As they carried his brothers away With the fire rainin' down And the hell all around There were few men left standin' that day Saw the eagle fly Through a clear blue sky 1965 The 8th of November

Now he's 58 And his ponytail's grey But the battle still plays in his head He limps when he walks But he's strong when he talks About the shrapnel they left in leg He puts on a grey suit over his airborne tattoo And he ties it on one time a year And remembers the fallen As he orders a tall one Swallows it down with his tears

Compare the truth and beauty of these words to the lies and vitrol of Bruce Springsteen's take on the war in any number of songs ("To go and kill the yellow man," etc.) and you'll know why country should be the music of choice for every conservative.